Monday, 12 January 2015

Rail fare rises letter

Hugh Lanning is right to point out the impact of the latest round of
increases to rail fares (WG 8th Jan), but fails to highlight either
the core problem or a strong solution.

The privatisation of our railways was supposed to bring external
investment and efficiency yet all it has brought is private profit
and soaring fares. No one wants a return to the darkest days of
British Rail, an organisation that was unsupported and failed by
government, but there is an urgent need for radical change.

The Green Party is the only party to be calling for public transport
to be brought back into the public sector, but with real investment
and support. The government has earmarked £15bn for new roads to be
built - we believe this money should be invested in public transport
instead.

The immediate benefit would be to see fares reduce by 10% while the
knock on impact of direct and real investment in public transport
could make our services as efficient and as cheap as those in
neighbouring countries.